Wind turbine’s volt transformer shot

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, December 9, 2010

BINGHAM TWP — Police are looking for the culprit who damaged a volt transformer on a wind turbine in the Michigan Wind I wind farm sometime late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

According to reports from the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, the incident was reported to police just before 8 a.m. Thursday.

An employee of the wind park responded early Thursday morning to “trouble shoot” problems with the wind turbine grid. In doing so, the employee reported to police a gate leading back to the turbine was found open and it was determined someone using a firearm had shot the 34,500 volt transformer, located at 3050 Purdy Road between Verona and McAllister roads.

A hole was found in the transformer’s radiator resulted in damage, which caused oil to leak out. The exact amount of damage to the $50,000 transformer was not reported. The hole in the transformer, according to police appears to be from a small caliber firearm.

Wind park employees were able to clean up the oil at the scene.

Huron County Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson said the damage to the transformer appears to be “intentional sabotage.” The investigation by the sheriff’s office has been handed over to the Ubly Police Department, which covers Bingham Township, for further investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Ubly Police Department, located at 2272 Bingham St. in Ubly. The department’s phone number is (989) 658-2433.